The Sydney Morning Herald reports
Almost one in five pubs and clubs are potentially flouting laws aimed at preventing gambling harm with breaches such as placing ATMs inside gaming rooms, an audit has found, as support grows for gambling reforms to make poker machines cashless.
Liquor and Gaming NSW conducted a compliance blitz on 300 venues after random inspections last year identified four hotels that had either located ATMs inside their gaming rooms or in separate rooms only accessible through their gaming rooms.
The two-week blitz uncovered more than 50 breaches of gaming laws, including unlawful ATM placement, non-compliant entry points, gaming room signage visible from the street and failures to prominently display counselling and self-exclusion signage within gaming rooms.
The findings come as pubs and clubs are trying to build their reputation as responsible gambling operators, following a damaging report by the NSW Crime Commission that found criminals were using poker machines to gamble or wash their dirty cash. Premier Dominic Perrottet said he supports the commission’s recommendation for a cashless gaming card to minimise money laundering, which the industry has described as overreach.
Unions NSW secretary Mark Morey this week made the unequivocal statement that “we need action on cashless gaming cards now”, putting him at odds with Labor just two months from the election.
Read full article https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/systemic-non-compliance-one-in-five-gaming-rooms-breaks-rules-audit-shows-20230105-p5cak8.html